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Criticism

A common objection to the historicity of Shahrbanu, is that emperor Yazdgerd was too young to have a daughter at the onset of the Muslim conquest of Persia.

Yazdgerd III was 28 years old at the time of his death, 15 years of which were spent in exile.[13] Subtracting this from his age at death, his age at the time of Fall of Ctesiphon amounts to 13 years. Since the Arab conquest began on the second year following his ascension to the throne, he was only 11 years old and therefore he could not have had a daughter to be captured by the Arabs.

Western views

Western academic historians have cast doubt on the legend. A thorough treatment of the matter can be found in the Encyclopædia Iranica:

"Neither do any of the scholars of ancient history that have chronicled, at times with great attention to detail, the invasion of Persia by Muslim troops and the fate of the last Sasanian sovereign and her family, establish any relationship between the wife of Imam Husayn and one of the daughters of Yazdgerd III.[14]

History

Differing reports in history state that Shahrbānū was brought to Madinah as a slave either during the caliphate of `Umar,[18]`Uthmān,[19] or `Ali.[20] Based on comparisons and the study of hadith, Shī`a's believe that it was during the caliphate of `Ali, with the appointment of Horayth ibn Jābir to govern the eastern provinces, that the daughters of Yazdigird III were sent to Madinah.[21]

Having been brought to Madinah, Ali allowed the ladies freedom in choosing whomever they wanted to marry from the Muslims, to which Shahrbānū was famously reported to have replied, "I want a head over whom there is no head".[22][23]

Shahrbānū chose the hand of Husayn ibn `Ali in marriage and one of her sisters chose Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr.[24] Shia scholars claim that Ali foretold the birth of the next Shī`a Imām as he said to Husayn: "Treat this lady kindly, for she will bear you the best of the people of the Earth after you. She is the mother of the trustees (of authority), the pure progeny".[25][26]

According to Shī`a belief, Shahrbānū died shortly after giving birth[27][28] to her son Ali ibn Husayn, and was thus not present at Karbalā. The eighth Twelver Shī`a Imām, Ali ar-Ridha has also been quoted as saying, "(Shahrbānū) died during her confinement, and one of (Husayn's) slave-wives looked after him (Ali ibn Husayn). The people claimed that (the slave-wife) was his mother, while she was his retainer".[29]

There is a shrine named after Shahrbānū in ancient Rayy, in the southern suburbs of Tehran, Iran. But the truth is that She died in Madina and was buried in the graveyard of "Jannat ul Baqi" alongside other members of Prophet's family.

Death

She, after the battle of Karbala, along with her son Ali Zainul Abedeen, went to Persia to meet her mother. On arriving to the Persian town she could not bear to enter the town boundaries and sent a letter to her mother, who was the wife of the Persian Ruler, to come out of the township and meet her.

On arrival of her mother, she narrated the happenings of the battle of Karbala and the pain that they went through and how she lost her entire family. During this mournful narration and emotional moment, is when she passed out and died. That is where she is buried right now.